Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.8.16
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesHarsh Words Burn Like Fire
“This incident was unbearable to Sunīti’s patience. She began to burn as if in a forest fire, and in her grief she became just like a burnt leaf and so lamented. As she remembered the words of her co-wife, her bright, lotuslike face filled with tears, and thus she spoke.”
What the purport teaches
- Sunīti found the incident unbearable and began to lament.
- The purport compares deep grief to being a burnt leaf in a forest fire.
- Although Sunīti’s face was beautiful like a lotus, it dried up from the burning grief caused by her co-wife’s harsh words.
Try this today
Replace one harsh remark you are tempted to make today with gentle words.
Ask yourself
Do I remember how deeply harsh speech can wound another person?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.